1 [intransitive,transitive]to stop doing your job, especially because you have reached a particular age or because you are ill/sick; to tell somebody they must stop doing their jobretire (from something)She was forced to retire early from teaching because of ill health.He is retiring next year after 30 years with the company.The company's official retiring age is 65.retire to somethingMy dream is to retire to a villa in France.retire as somethingHe has no plans to retire as editor of the magazine.retire somebodyShe was retired on medical grounds.Wordfinderapply,appoint,contract,dismiss,employ,job,pay,retire,work,workforceWordfindercare home,dementia,frail,geriatric,mobility,the old,pensioner,retire,sprightly,widowSee related entries:Old age

in sport

2[intransitive]to stop competing during a game, race, etc., usually because you are injuredretire (from something)She fell badly, spraining her ankle, and had to retire.+ adj.He retired hurt in the first five minutes of the game.

from/to a place

3[intransitive](formal)to leave a place, especially to go somewhere quieter or more privateThe jury retired to consider the evidence.retire to somethingAfter dinner he likes to retire to his study.

of army

4[intransitive](formal)to move back from a battle in order to organize your soldiers in a different way

go to bed

5[intransitive](literary)to go to bedI retired late that evening.

in baseball

6[transitive]retire somebodyto make a player or team have to stop their turn at battingHe retired twelve batters in a row.

Word Originmid 16th cent. (in the sense ‘withdraw to a place of safety or seclusion’): from Frenchretirer, from re-

‘back’

+ tirer

‘draw’

.Extra examplesAs for me, I am quite ready to retire.He is hoping to retire early on medical grounds.He recently retired as CEO of the company.He recently retired as head teacher of their school.He was medically retired at the age of 55.I’m hoping to retire in about five years.In a few years, I’ll be eligible to retire.Most employees retire at 60.Mr McNeil is due to retire later this month.She recently retired from teaching.She retired from the bank last year.She simply couldn’t afford to retire at sixty.She’s on course to retire quite comfortably by the time she’s 55.a newly retired couplehe officially retired from the day-to-day operations of his company.She has decided to retire from international tennis.The company’s official retiring age is 65.